Create Your Garden

Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ (Winterberry)

Winterberry 'Winter Gold', Black Alder 'Winter Gold', Feverbark 'Winter Gold', Swamp Winterberry 'Winter Gold'

Award General
Ilex Verticillata 'Winter Gold', Winterberry 'Winter Gold', golden berries, yellow berries, evergreen shrub, American winterberry, Aquifoliaceae, Berry, holly, Ilex, winter shrub, Winterberry 'Winter Gold', Black Alder 'Winter Gold', Feverbark 'Winter Gold', Swamp Winterberry 'Winter Gold'

Acclaimed for its heavy fruiting, Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ is a slow-growing, multi-stemmed shrub with an upright-rounded habit. This deciduous winterberry holly produces abundant small greenish-white flowers in late spring or early summer, followed by a profusion of large, glossy golden-peachy berries from early fall throughout winter. Extremely attractive, they enliven the winter landscape and often persist into early spring unless eaten by birds. The foliage of dark green leaves turns golden-bronze in fall. ‘Winter Gold’ is a female plant and needs a male pollinator to produce attractive golden berries. Generally, one male winterberry will be sufficient for pollinating 6-10 female plants. Since the blooms come late, ‘Winter Gold’ requires a late-blooming male as a pollinator (such as ‘Southern Gentleman’).

  • Grows up to 5-8 ft. tall and wide (150-240 cm).
  • Winner of the Gold Medal Award of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
  • This plant is easily grown in full sun to part shade in average, medium to wet, well-drained, acidic soils. Tolerates poorly drained soils as well as wet boggy conditions. It does poorly in neutral to alkaline soils and often dies. The most prolific fruit displays generally occur in full sun to light shade. While it can grow in shady conditions, winterberry produces few fruits and is less attractive, becoming a loose and scraggly shrub.
  • Generally pest and disease free
  • Mass in mixed shrub borders. Perfect as a specimen plant, hedges, or foundation plantings. Excellent shrub for wet soils, bog gardens, rain gardens, and along streams or ponds. The fruited salmon branches make lovely home decorations.
  • Flowers appear on new growth. Prune to shape in early spring, just before new growth appears.
  • Native to Eastern North America

Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 9
Heat Zones 5 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, A2, A3
Plant Type Shrubs
Plant Family Aquifoliaceae
Genus Ilex
Common names Winterberry, Holly
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 5' - 8'
(150cm - 240cm)
Spread 5' - 8'
(150cm - 240cm)
Spacing 60" - 96"
(150cm - 240cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average, High
Soil Type Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Clay Soil, Wet Soil
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders, Bog Gardens, Hedges And Screens, Ponds And Streams, Rain Gardens
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Ilex (Holly)
Guides with
Ilex (Holly)
Not sure which Ilex (Holly) to pick?
Compare Now

Alternative Plants to Consider

Ilex vomitoria f. pendula (Weeping Yaupon Holly)
Ilex cornuta ‘Needlepoint’ (Chinese Holly)
Ilex cassine (Dahoon)
Ilex Golden Oakland® (Holly)
Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly)
Ilex verticillata (Winterberry)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

Small Trees and Shrubs That Attract Birds
Green Canopy, Better World: Exploring the Benefits of Trees
Trees that Invite Wildlife to Your Garden
37 Best Evergreen Trees for Privacy and Year-Round Interest
Choosing Your Ideal Hedge: A Guide to Top Shrubs for Any Garden
Small Evergreen Shrubs for Year-Round Appeal
December Birth Flower: What is my Birth Flower?
Create a Garden with Great Winter Interest
Shrubs and Trees with Colorful Fruits and Berries in Winter
Native Plant Alternatives to Ilex aquifolium (English Holly)
Attractive Evergreen Shrubs and Trees with Red Fruits and Berries
Attractive Deciduous Shrubs and Trees with Red Fruits and Berries
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
Buy Plants

Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 9
Heat Zones 5 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, A2, A3
Plant Type Shrubs
Plant Family Aquifoliaceae
Genus Ilex
Common names Winterberry, Holly
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 5' - 8'
(150cm - 240cm)
Spread 5' - 8'
(150cm - 240cm)
Spacing 60" - 96"
(150cm - 240cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average, High
Soil Type Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Clay Soil, Wet Soil
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders, Bog Gardens, Hedges And Screens, Ponds And Streams, Rain Gardens
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Ilex (Holly)
Guides with
Ilex (Holly)
Not sure which Ilex (Holly) to pick?
Compare Now

Gardening Ideas

Plant Calculator

How many Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ (Winterberry) do I need for my garden?

Input your garden space dimensions

Your Shopping List

Plant Quantity
Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ (Winterberry) N/A Buy Plants

Please Login to Proceed

You Have Reached The Free Limit, Please Subscribe to Proceed

Subscribe to Gardenia

To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of Gardenia
  • Add as many plants as you wish
  • Create and save up to 25 garden collections
Become a Member

Plant Added Successfully

You have Reached Your Limit

To add more plants, you must be a paid member of our site Become a Member

Update Your Credit
Card Information

Cancel

Create a New Collection

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

    You have been subscribed successfully

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Find your Hardiness Zone

    Find your Heat Zone

    Find your Climate Zone